The NNSA, part of the U.S. Department of Energy, said NTP Radioisotopes Ltd in South Africa deliver a big shipment of the medical isotope molybdenum-99 made from low grade uranium to in private held Lantheus Medical, which processes the fabric for medical tests. The shipment proves it is probable to make medical isotopes without using weapons grade uranium, removing the possible threat that the material could be unfocused by terrorists and undercutting arguments by Iran that it must produce highly enriched uranium to get together its need for medical isotopes, said Dr Robert Atcher, past president of the civilization of Nuclear Medicine and chairman of the group's Medical Isotope Task Force.
"It's negates that arguments as far the Iranian explanations for their enrichment program," Atcher said in telephone interview. NNSA said the material has been accepts by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. It is regularly made in nuclear reactors from highly enriched uranium or HEU, which can also be used to expand nuclear weapons. Gary Samore, who oversees policy on weapons of mass obliteration at the White House, said the move to create medical isotopes from low enriched uranium represent and significant marriage of peaceful uses of nuclear technology and nuclear security goals.
"Years ago we needed HEU to give the isotopes for diagnosis and treatment of disease. Now we can do it without using highly responsive nuclear materials," Samore said in a statement. Technetium-99, a radioactive byproduct of molybdenum-99, is used in more than 14 million nuclear medicine actions in the United States each year, representing a $60 to $65 million market. It is used primarily to sense heart disease and cancer. The United States presently does not have the capability to produce molybdenum-99 domestically and imports 100 percent of it are provide from foreign producers.
"It's negates that arguments as far the Iranian explanations for their enrichment program," Atcher said in telephone interview. NNSA said the material has been accepts by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. It is regularly made in nuclear reactors from highly enriched uranium or HEU, which can also be used to expand nuclear weapons. Gary Samore, who oversees policy on weapons of mass obliteration at the White House, said the move to create medical isotopes from low enriched uranium represent and significant marriage of peaceful uses of nuclear technology and nuclear security goals.
"Years ago we needed HEU to give the isotopes for diagnosis and treatment of disease. Now we can do it without using highly responsive nuclear materials," Samore said in a statement. Technetium-99, a radioactive byproduct of molybdenum-99, is used in more than 14 million nuclear medicine actions in the United States each year, representing a $60 to $65 million market. It is used primarily to sense heart disease and cancer. The United States presently does not have the capability to produce molybdenum-99 domestically and imports 100 percent of it are provide from foreign producers.
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